Golden Time

Suhyuk laughed bitterly at Kim Hyunwoo’s words.

To some extent, he was right. Classes and internal competition at prestigious high schools were clearly different from those at ordinary high schools. Their mindset of studying was different. Suhyuk wanted to attend that kind of school, but could not, because he had no money.

“Do you know a school called Jaemyung High School?” Kim asked.

Suhyuk nodded his head. It was the school where students with a lot of money or gifted students from across the country gathered. How could Suhyuk not know of such a school?

“Don’t you want to transfer there?”

Kim Hyunwoo cast mysterious eyes towards Suhyuk.

“I’d like to, but I can’t afford to do so.”

“I’ll make it work for you, but I have a condition for that.”

Suhyuk looked at him with a surprised look.

Tuition fee at Jaemyung HS was something he could not afford. Three million won per semester. What kind of condition will he lay down?

Kim Hyunwoo opened his mouth, saying, “All I want is for you to do the same things like today until you finish the third year of high school.”

When he thinks about his mother, this kind of offer was nothing to Kim Hyunwoo.

On the contrary, the tuition fee was something that Suhyuk could not even dream of.

To him, this was not a condition, but a one-sided help.

Kim Hyunwoo also asked Dongsu the same question, who had been tinkering with a wooden gong. “You too, give it a thought!”

Actually it was an offer they did not bother to think about at all.

Suhyuk quickly opened his mouth, “Is it really okay with you?”

He laughed at Suhyuk’s surprised expression because it was not a big deal.

“Of course,” Kim Hyunwoo replied, and then called someone straight from his cell phone.

“Hey, driver Kim, these boys are attending Jaemyung High School starting next week. So please get things ready, okay?” Then he hung up the phone.

He asked Suhyuk with a blank face once more,

“If you do not want to, tell me now. I don’t want to give any annoyance to the driver.”

Suhyuk stood up from his seat and bowed his head.

“Thank you very much, I will not forget your help.”

‘Yes, I won’t forget it. I would pay this help back by all means even through the care of his mother.’

Dongsu, who rose like Suhyuk, bent his back.

Kim Hyunwoo laughed heartily at them, and drank up hot ramen soup.

…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..……

Suhyuk returned home, but still felt uncomfortable.

A cash reward of 600,000 won for his three hours’ stay. And tutoring. Even this was nothing compared to his transfer to Jaemyung HS. Jaemyung HS? It was a wonderful place. There were almost none from Jaemyung HS who were not admitted to prestigious colleges.

Although his heart was beating with excitement, he had worries too, when he thought about his parents. How should he explain it to them?

Suhyuk had to think hard about it again since the bicycle incident, but he could not find a good excuse this time. Can he tell them he got first in the math competition and got admitted at Jaemyung? Suhyuk shook his head. It was stupid for him to deceive them again with another lie.

At that moment Suhyuk’s room door opened and Kim Myunghee showed up.

“Did you eat, Suhyuk?”

“Mom, I was able to transfer to Jaemyung High School.”

“Jaemyung HS? What do you mean by ‘transferring’ there?” asked Kim, wondering whether he was going back to his nature of the old days.

‘Did he say he wanted me to transfer him?’

Her expression became bitter. She just felt so sorry she could not help her son, because she had little money.

“Suhyuk, let me get you a tutor if I receive a salary, but Jaemyung HS…”

Appreciating his mother’s feelings, he quickly presented a white envelope to her.

It was the hourly pay he got from Kim Hyunwoo today.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Money,” said Suhyuk.

“What money? Is it from your part-time job? Why are you giving this to me? Just buy some clothes and have some good food with it,” she said.

“Well, Mr. Kim, the president gave me… Uhm… I accidently saved a patient who had appendicitis…” He confided to her all the episodes up to now.

Kim Myunghee did not hide her expression of amazement while listening to his explanation. Her eyes were slowly becoming watery, watching Suhyuk.

Though she did not provide for him enough, her son was moving forward in his future very well.

“My baby, come on, let me hold you.”

Suhyuk snugly hugged his mom. He could hear her heart beating, which seemed like a mother’s lullaby to him. He felt her warm bosom was comfortable and cozy like feathers.

“You’re having a hard time because you had a foolish mom like me!”

Snuggled in her bosom, he shook his head to suggest it was not true.

He did not know why, but he felt he was moved to tears. His behavior of the old days; she must have gone through a lot of heartache because of that.

“Please wait a little more, Mom. I’ll make a lot of money and buy you all the good and expensive things.”

He heard her soft words in his ears, “You don’t have to do that. Mom and Dad just want you…”

At that moment they heard the front door opening.

“Dad just arrived.”

Kim Myunghee moved into the living room and showed him a white envelope.

“What is this?”

“Honey, I don’t know exactly, but Suhyuk says he saved a person’s life.”

“Did he?” he asked.

“Yes. Suhyuk says that’s why he received a cash reward and could transfer to Jaemyung HS with full scholarship!”

“Really? Reward, and Jaemyung HS?”

Kim Myunghee repeated to her husband what she heard from their son.

Suhyuk, scratching his head, went outside, and he could see his father’s face.

Has he ever seen his father, full of wrinkles around his eyes, laughing so heartily before? Looking at his son with a smile, he said, “I raised my child well.”

Then he said, “What do you want to eat?”

Suhyuk did not refuse this time. “Chicken.”

“Honey, order a delicious chicken. Oh, not one, but two please. Let me get some soju (distilled spirits).”

“Father, I’ll buy it.”

“No, let me go out as I have my shoes on and get back soon. Won’t you buy something else?”

“Let me do it Dad. I’ll be right back.”

No sooner did he say that than his father moved to the front porch and went out without any words…

And that night, Suhyuk lying in bed could hear his mother talking over the phone in the living room.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my sister, my sister, how are you doing? I suddenly missed you and called like this. Your kids are grown big, right? Chulsoo, who went to the high school, is still making trouble for you? Oh, I see… By the way, Suhyuk is going to transfer to Jaemyung HS with full scholarship…”

He could also hear his father calling someone.

“Well, nothing unusual here. I just felt like calling you after I had a drink. Is everything okay with you? Good. Do I have any news about Suhyuk?”

Now his father’s voice was heard a little louder.

“This time he is going to Jaemyung High School for free. He says he saved a person’s life.”

With a smile on his face, Suhyuk fell asleep in no time.